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Call: Two German- West African Tandem Fellowships (Junior/Senior) at the University of Ghana (2020/21)
Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA)
Call for Applications
The Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) offers
Two German- West African Tandem Fellowships (Junior/Senior)
for 3-5 months each at the University of Ghana for the Academic Year 2020/21
Application deadline: September 30, 2019, 24 h CET
The Maria Sibylla Merian Institute for Advanced Studies in Africa (MIASA) is dedicated to research in the Humanities and Social Sciences, with ‘Sustainable Governance’ as its central topic. More specific topic areas under this umbrella prominently include sustainable democracy, sustainable peace and conflict management, and environmental transformation, as well as migration, restitution of cultural objects, and human rights research. Overarching aims of MIASA are working towards a reduction of global asymmetries in knowledge production and bridging the cultural divide between anglophone and francophone Africa. MIASA, established in 2018, serves as a hub for exchange, networking and collaboration amongst leading researchers from Germany, Ghana, the African and European continents and beyond. It is located on the beautiful campus of the University of Ghana at Legon (Accra).
To promote cross-continental dialogue and exchange, MIASA is accepting applications for two tandem fellowships (3-5 months) at the University of Ghana. They will allow researchers to conduct their own research projects. Two researchers – one from West Africa and one from Germany – will work in a collaborative manner on a particular research topic addressing in one way or another MIASA’s umbrella topic and overall aims. Their joint application must highlight the additional academic value of their cooperation. The application should also define the objectives and anticipated outcomes of their collaboration.
The fellowships will be awarded to researchers of top academic quality with an innovative and high quality research topic, and will be selected through a highly competitive, strictly merit-based selection process.
The fellowships are held for 3 to 5 months between September 2020 and August 2021. The successful applicants will become MIASA Fellows with all the corresponding rights and obligations for the requested funding period.
The fellows’ salary costs will be met by MIASA on the principle of “no loss, no gain,” for every full fellowship month, and paid directly to his/her home institution. Furthermore, non-African based fellows will receive a monthly allowance of 400 €. For fellows affiliated to an African home institution at the time of the commencement of the fellowship this monthly allowance will amount to 1.000 €.
For all fellows MIASA will provide accommodation and reimburse travel costs. To promote the joint research, a shared research cost contribution of 500€/ fellow month, e.g. for conducting field research or organizing a small academic event (e.g. workshop), can be granted upon application.
The Institute provides its fellows with modern office space and an up-to-date infrastructure. Fellows have full access to all library services at the University of Ghana. A full-time presence of fellows at MIASA for the fellowship period is expected. To complete the research stay, MIASA expects the fellows to publish their joint research results in at least two academic articles.
The Institute supports academic exchange across existing boundaries: between disciplines, between different cultures and countries, between established and younger researchers. Furthermore, MIASA engages in activities opening the research community to society and politics. Fellows will be part of this community and profit from the lively research environment of the University of Ghana.
MIASA is committed to inclusion and gender equality. The MIASA fellowship program aims for gender parity and is promoting affirmative action policies.
Applications
The completed application form together with the required documents has to be uploaded on the application webpage (https://frias.wufoo.com/forms/miasa-tandem-fellowships-202021/) and submitted by September 30, 2019; 24.00 h CET.
Information on the application and selection process (required documents, eligibility criteria, evaluation criteria, timeline and stages of the selection process) is provided here: https://www.ug.edu.gh/mias-africa/.
Eligibility
Eligible for application are junior researchers (1-6 years after completion of their PhD) and senior researchers (more than 6 years after completion of their PhD) in a relevant discipline of the Humanities or the Social Sciences who are based at an institution in West Africa or in Germany at the time of the application deadline.
Selection
The all-important selection criteria are the academic excellence of both the applicants and the research proposal. Additionally, the required experience and capability to conduct the research project will be taken into account, as well as the fit of the proposed topic with MIASA’s umbrella
topic and overall aims, and its contribution to a sustainable research alliance between Africa and Germany.
MIASA’s Academic Advisory Board will be responsible for the selection of the fellows.
Proviso
This call is published with the proviso that the Federal German Ministry of Research (BMBF) will grant funding for MIASA’s main phase (2020 to 2026).
For further details please contact us at MIASA under miasa@ug.edu.gh
